Self-locking pin.



T. F. MULLANEY.

SELF LOCKING'PIN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. I913.

Patented $9M. 7, 1915.

WITNESSES A iiomeys a I. F

sniinLocKIne PIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteusepat, i915.

Applicationfiled February s, 1913. Serial no. 747,186.

To aZZ whom it may-concern. c

Be it known that I,THOMAS F. MULLANEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the cityof New York, borough of Manhats tan, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Self-Locking Pin, of which the following is'a'specification.

This invention is a pin or wedge having means, either integralv therewith or attach able thereto, whereby' said pin, after being.

from a rail, or rails, positioned in a conduit between the tracks andbeneath the roadbed, and said power is transmitted to the carby means of a lever, or levers, which run in a slot and which carry shoes adapted to ride on the so-called conductor rail. In such systems, said rail is generally about two feet below the surface of the ground,

and is supported on brackets, which are in turn secured to a carrying frame or cradle set in concrete, or otherwise securely retained in fixed position. It is the practice to secure the rail to each of its supporting brackets by means of a wedge or tapered pin, and, as the jarring on said rail, occasioned by the travel of the car shoes, is somewhat pronounced at times, these pins work loose. It is thus necessary, in most cases, to provide a small man-hole at each joint in the conductor rail, to allow the said pin to be driven tight, from time to time. Pins have been produced which, theoretically, obviate this difficulty by means of cotter pins, nuts, etc., but as the manholes are usually but eighteen inches square, often two feet deep, and it is necessary for the repair man to wear heavy rubber gloves, it is impractical, and well nigh impossible, to practically employ these devices.

The present invention provides a simple expedient for the hereinbefore stated dithculties, and embodies, more specifically, a tapered pin, at the smaller end of which is a pliable portion which can be readily bent over by means of a hammer or wrench, and

which can be easily bent up or broken off, when it is desired to remove the tapered pin.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practical'embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention;

, Figure lis a perspective view showing a portion of the conductor railsecured to its supporting bracket by means of the pin of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section through the rail supporting bracket, showing the rail in transverse section, said section being taken approximately on line 2 -2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal section of the self-locking pin of the present invention, retaining means being shown in full. Fig. l is a side elevation thereof.

In the drawings, A indicates a sectionof the conductor rail which is supported by the usual bracketB, the same being, in practice, hung upon a bracket or cradle (not shown) by a bolt which passes through the holerB, in the bracket. One endof bracket B is bifurcated, to provide a channel 6 between the legs I), b,-thus formed- 1 The web aof the rail A normally fits into this channel, and is securely retained therein in the manner next to be described.

The legs I), Z), of the bracket are provided with elongated slots 0, C, respectively, extending longitudinally of the bracket, one in each leg, and in alinement with one another. Moreover, the web of the rail A is provided with elongated transverse slots D, at such points as it is desired to secure it to the brackets.

A pin or wedge E is provided, this pin being of substantially constant thickness,

but varying in width, so that it is comparatively narrow at its point e, and considerably wider at its head 6. This tapered pin has a pliable wire or rod 5/, extending from the end thereof, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the rod 9 is shown as being held in a socket g, in the end of the pin.

The rail A is adapted to bepositioned with its web a, in between the legs of the bracket, and in such relation thereto that the slots in the bracket and the predetermined one in the rail are in juxtaposition. The small end of the tapered pin E is now inserted into the slot C, in one leg of the bracket, through the slot l),in therail and through the other slot C in the other leg of said bracket, as is common. The slots in the bracket and in the rail being so positioned with respect to one another that the forward ends of the slots C, C, are against oneedge of the tapered pin, and the rear end of the slot D against the other edge thereof, it is obvious that, as the pin is driven in, it forces the rail and bracket together and wedges the web a of the former tightly between the legs I), b, of the latter. Nhen the bracket, rail and pin are assembled as above described, they are in their correct normal positions, and it only remains to lock the pin against the-inadvertent Working loose which might be occasioned by jarring. This is readily accomplished by bending over the rod g, into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andin dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be manifest that this operation can be readily carried out by a person Wearing heavy, cumbersome gloves, and with but the assistance of a hammer or wrench, such as is usually carried by mechanics. Thus said pin is securely retained in its desired position, until such time when it is desired to remove it pin removed.

In the locking devices of the prior art,

. when used, great trouble is attendant with their removal, due to the same reasons which render it so'diflicult to apply them. Appli- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for cants device, however, is most expeditiously applied: and removed, and, in practice, has proven to possess great utility. Moreover, it can be so economically made, that, after removal, it may bediscarded and a new one substituted.

Having thus fully described the invention, 7

vmore pliable material extending from, and

secured to, the small end of said pin.

3. A self-locking pin embodying an elongated, non-threaded tapering casting, provided with a socket at its small end, and a pliable rod seated in said socket and extending from the end of the casting in alinement therewith. .7 V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. F. MULLANEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

the small end of said. 

